New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-09
POHDERLY,S NEW PIN.

Mr.. Powderly's new plan for the govern
ment of the Knights of Labor is a confession
of error and NAV almost be taken as sign
Of defeat. The underlying idea is one which
the Knights have never recognized, and
which they will be brought to recognize, if at
all, only by the pressure of adverse fortune.
II is that of the autonomy of the trades
their right to much larger share of self
government than they have ever had under
the Knights of Labor. The interests Of the
various trades have been rcmorselessly sub
ordinated to those Of the organization in gem
eral. The "walking delegate" has had
supreme power over large bodies Of men
working at trades of which he had not even
a iourncyman's knowledge. BARRIERS have
ordered the hands out of paper mills. Great
railways have been brought to a standstll by
the fiat of drunken blackguard. "Sympa-
thetic strikes" have thrown thousands of men
out of work thousands of miles away from
the scene of a disturbance they did not UNDER
stand. This reckless policy resulted in great
disasters Strike after strike failed. Great
sums were lost to the men in wages. The
prestige Of the organization was much weak
encd.
One of the most important results of this
policy and of the warfare upon the trades
unions it involved was the formation Of the
American Federation OF Labor. Its growth
has been remarkable, and there is no better
proof of il than the fact that Mr.. Powderly
now seeks to borrow some of ITS leading ideas
The Federation is not yet year and hall
old. and it has a membership of more than
rn .bo f,,d
1t seems to be managed upon far more con-
sentative principles than the Knights. The
members are very lightly taxed, and the
salaries are modest. The authorities of the
order profess to deprecate strikes except when
they are considered absolutely necessary. In
any event the interests of each trade arc left
to the control Of it's own members organized
into trade assembly. II is the boast of the
order that they have had numerous successes
in shortening the hours of work and raising
wages, with but few strikes.
Now Mr.. Powdcrly seems TO be trying, by
adopting these ideas, to hold his organization
together, which has shown some signs of dis
migrating. He proposes thai each trade
shall form National Assembly under the
Jurisdiction Of the General Assembly of the
to have exclusive control of the trade it repre-
scnts. so long as the constitution Of the Cen
cral Assembly is not violated. No strike shall
be begun by n local trade assembly until
three fourths Of the assemblies in the Ma
tional Assembly have agreed to render assist
ancc. The order Of Knights at large is not
to render assistance until the case has been
submitted by the General Executive Board.
and il no assistance is required the Board il
no; to interfere. State Assemblies Of the
Knights Of Labor are also to be fOrmc'i in
which, however. trade lines arc to be ignored.
The important feature of these proposed
chances, so far as the public is concerned. is
that the probability of strikes will be very
much lcsscucd. For the irresponsible word
OF the walking delegate" We shall have SUBJ
stituted the slow process Of a threc-fourths
vote of the assemblies of the trades Such
change would unqucstionably be great public
benefit 1t remains to be whether Mr.
Powderly's plan will be adopted.